Trump-free Friday politics roundup: Dec. 15

Woes for net neutrality and tax bills, but good news from Alabama and more in this week’s Trump-free Friday politics roundup

FCC votes to repeal net neutrality

In a move that is both unsurprising and deeply disappointing, the Federal Communication Commission has voted to repeal net neutrality rules. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai claims that the Obama-era rules, established in 2015, only hobbled business growth and innovation. However, others point out that the opposite has happened.

Opponents to the repeal now fear that Internet providers will be able to decrease access to certain sites or apps via slow speeds or even outright blocking. Though providers have claimed that they will do no such thing, it’s difficult for many to believe.

After all, what large business wouldn’t take advantage of new rules that give them free rein to discriminate against competitors and dissenting voices? After the FCC announced today’s vote earlier this month, Comcast quietly but significantly pulled its net neutrality pledge from its website.

Doug Jones wins Senate election

As horrible as the net neutrality vote feels, it wasn’t all doom this week. Alabama Democrat Doug Jones beat Republican Roy Moore for a Senate seat this week in a surprising election. Moore was accused of sexually assaulting numerous underage girls while working as an assistant district attorney in the 1970s. He also questioned whether we should teach children evolution (by linking it to drive-by shootings, no less) and strongly implied that the United States was better during the time of slavery.

Though his story changed multiple times, Moore consistently denied the allegations. Voters, however, thought differently. While, shamefully enough, a majority of white voters went ahead and supported an alleged pedophile and racist, black voters overwhelmingly voted for Jones — especially black women, who honestly deserve your continued support. It helped that Doug Jones has prosecuted Klansmen and once served on the board of Birmingham’s Civil Rights Institute.

Tax bill moves closer to becoming law

Though a defeat of the growing tax overhaul seems nigh impossible, it won’t become law without some significant struggle yet ahead. Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida) has indicated his doubts regarding the bill. He’s asked some pointed questions about its funding and what benefits we’ll see (or not) for middle- and low-income citizens. He’s also flatly stated that he will vote no on the bill unless it includes an expansion of the child tax credit.

This throws a wrench into Republican plans, to say the least. They had planned to present a finished bill to be sent to the White House before Christmas.

The “Honorable” Omarosa is out

What does it say when the current White House administration — hardly known for its organization or integrity — can’t stomach you?

Of course, accounts of how Omarosa Manigault Newman’s White House career ended vary. The former aide says that she and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly had a “candid conversation” that led to her resignation.

Other sources, however, claim that the parting was far less amicable than Manigault Newman’s statement leads one to believe. According to ABC News, some White House sources even say that she was escorted off the property.

This follows a string of drama-laden stories, including one occasion where she signed meeting invitations to the Congressional Black Caucus as “The Honorable Omarosa Manigault”. This is despite the fact that she was not strictly qualified to use the title. In April, she also reportedly brought members of her bridal party to the White House for an unauthorized photo shoot.

She is ostensibly leaving in order “to pursue other opportunities”, though won’t be officially off the team until Jan. 20. Whatever happened, it is likely a significant fall from grace. Manigault Newman was a top aide and communications director for the White House Office of Public Liaison. She was paid a salary of nearly $180,000 for her work, according to a July 2017 report.

Tillerson wants to talk with North Korea, gets undermined

You would think that occupying a high-level appointment in the federal government would shield you somewhat from office politics. Certainly, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson could not have thought that he would be a kind of beleaguered middle manager.

Well, except Tillerson has been trying to open talks with North Korea. No matter how much you complain about TPS reports, it probably doesn’t compare to starting a conversation with Kim Jong-un.

Specifically, on Tuesday, Tillerson stated that he wanted to start talks with North Korea. At a policy forum, he stated that “We’ve said from the diplomatic side we’re ready to talk any time North Korea, would like to talk, and we’re ready to have the first meeting without precondition”.

Almost immediately after the Secretary’s remarks, other officials began walking back his statements. “[Before talks can happen] North Korea must first refrain from any further provocations and take sincere and meaningful actions toward denuclearization,” said a spokesperson for the National Security Council.

The White House later stepped in with additional remarks that only served to muddy the waters. In a report from Reuters, an unnamed official said, “The administration is united in insisting that any negotiations with North Korea must wait until the regime fundamentally improves its behavior”. This has only served to further fuel rumors that Tillerson will soon be booted from his post at the State Department.

Brexit talks shaky yet again

It almost always seems as if Brexit talks are in a weird place. EU leaders are understandably reluctant to make the negotiation process easy, and U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May has suffered some serious blows to her party’s credibility in the past year. Just last week, members of May’s own Conservative Party sided with other members of Parliament in questioning the entire process. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn outright called the talks “a shambles”. May lost a parliamentary vote on the matter 309 to 305.

So, this most recent speed bump was unsurprising, if still deeply frustrating for everyone involved. British officials indicated that complicated and open-ended issues were to be considered only “a statement of intent”, according to Brexit Secretary David Davis. European leaders, however, wanted all of the attendant agreements and documents to be, well, binding agreements.

And, finally, your palate cleanser

Okay, here’s a quick litmus test for … something, apparently. Does the prospect of a human-sized penguin disturb or delight you? Specifically, a prehistoric penguin that was just a bit shorter than 6 feet and weighed around 220 pounds.

If the recent discovery of Kumimanu biceae freaks you out a bit, take comfort in knowing that it lived between 55 and 60 million years before our time. Compare this largest-known penguin species to the largest one currently around: the four-foot-tall Emperor penguin.

Kumimanu would have swum around in the waters off of New Zealand. In fact, its name derives from the Maori language and roughly translates to “monster bird”. The “kumi” is a gigantic monster in Maori legend.

As it turns out, the Earth was lousy with giant penguins millions of years ago (compared to today, anyway). There’s Icadyptes salasi, which lived in modern-day Peru and had a terrifying, yet cool spearlike beak. Ancient New Zealand had another humongous penguin species in its waters, Pachydyptes ponderosus. And that’s only the tip of the giant penguin iceberg. In general, animals of eons past were so large that it tends to boggle the mind.

Next: 10 female scientists of color you should know

What happened to all of these massive flightless birds? Scientists theorize that competition from larger sea animals, including whales and seals, may have forced penguin populations to select for smaller sizes.